Cambodia Geography & Climate

Cambodia's geography centers on the Tonlé Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, which sits in a low central basin and dramatically expands during the wet season as the Tonlé Sap River, fed by the Mekong, reverses direction and floods the surrounding plain.

The Mekong River crosses the country from north to south before continuing into Vietnam, while the Cardamom Mountains in the southwest hold Cambodia's largest remaining rainforest and the Dângrêk Mountains form a natural escarpment along the Thai border to the north.

A relatively short coastline along the Gulf of Thailand in the south holds Cambodia's beach towns and islands, including Sihanoukville and Koh Rong.

Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate with a clear dry season (November-April) and wet season (May-October), and stays hot and humid across nearly the entire country year-round given its low elevation.

The hottest stretch of the year falls in March and April, just before the rains arrive, when temperatures regularly climb past 35°C (95°F) even in the shade.

The wet season brings regular but generally short afternoon downpours rather than sustained all-day rain, and is when the Tonlé Sap reaches its largest seasonal size.